What is a Civil Marriage Celebrant?A Civil Marriage Celebrant is a person who is registered by the Australian Attorneys Department Government to authorise legal marriages according to the Marriage Act 1961. Marriage Celebrants are regulated but not employed by the Attorney General’s Department.

What is the process to become a Civil Marriage Celebrant?
Persons must successfully complete a Certificate IV Celebrancy, submit an application for registration to the Attorney General’s department (current fee is $600), successfully answer a series of legal questions about marriage law and process, and be deemed a “fit and proper” person by the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants to qualify for registration as a Marriage Celebrant.

To maintain registration, a Civil Marriage Celebrant must pay an annual registration fee (current fee is $270), complete 1.5 hours of Professional Development per year, use specific forms and stationery to carry out their duties and comply with the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants.

What do Marriage Celebrants do?
Registered Marriage Celebrants are authorised to formalise marriages according to the law in Australia under the Marriage Act 1961. Marriage Celebrants ensure all legal marriage documentation is prepared correctly. They also provide information and guidance to the couple pertaining to the marriage ceremony. They also create and deliver marriage ceremonies according the couple’s needs and expectations.

What are the advantages of choosing a Civil Marriage Celebrant?
In contrast to religious or registry office authorities, a Civil Marriage Celebrant has greater flexibility when it comes to providing couples with choice regarding their ceremony content and location. A Civil Marriage Celebrant can provide couples the opportunity to express their love, relationship and commitment in a ceremony that is uniquely their own.

Are Civil Marriage Celebrants all the same?No! Civil Marriage Celebrants have varying degrees of dedication, skill and practice. There are close to 8,000 registered Marriage celebrants in Australia. A great wedding celebrant invests considerable time and skill to a marriage ceremony. They are motivated by a genuine passion for the art of ceremony creation and presentation.

What is the value of a great Civil Marriage Celebrant?
Celebrants face enormous demands in terms of accountability when it comes to satisfying the legal obligations of a marriage. Not to mention the pressure they experience on the wedding day to ensure the ceremony is just right. A great marriage celebrant is a skilled professional, with the best interests of the couple.Their desire and their ability to create deep, meaningful connections with a couple results in a fabulous wedding experience.

Wedding ceremonies where the couple says a personal vow in addition to their legal vow adds to the meaning of their commitment.

Personal wedding vows usually include individual person-specific references (eg. I promise to support your football team and go to their games with you).

If couples are not confident writing their own personal vows, I provide examples to use, amend or edit as they see fit.

Like this one…Name, I promise to speak to you and about you with kindness, respect and compassion. I cannot promise that I won’t annoy or frustrate you, or to never be moody. I might not always agree with you, but I will always consider your opinion with an open heart and mind. I promise to love you, support you, and to stand with you and not run when the going gets tough. This is my vow to you.

Or this one…Name, from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one with whom I wanted to share my life. You inspire me to be the best person I can be. I promise to love, respect and care for you. I vow to love you as you are, and not as I want you to be. I promise to grow old by your side as your lover and best friend. This is my vow to you today and always.

Some couples write their personal vows and share them with each other in advance so they both know that their vows are similar in length and tone. Sharing vows before the wedding also enables the couple to “take in” the meaning of the vows, without any distractions or nerves that may arise on the wedding day.

Some couples keep their vows secret and share them for the first time at their wedding. If couples choose to do this, I ask them to decide on a similar word count. Nothing worse than if one person writes two lines and the other twenty!

Some couples say their vows line by line in an alternate fashion.

For example… Groom:I promise to always love you and take care of youBride:I promise to never stop working to make us even strongerGroom:I promise to honour the commitments we make today, whether I am far from home or wrapped in your arms.Bride:I promise that from this day forward you’ll never walk aloneGroom:I promise to give you my undivided attention, as long as there is no football on TV.Bride:I promise to never keep score, even when I am totally winningGroom:I promise to believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourselfBride:I cannot promise that I will always deserve you, but I promise I will try my very best.Groom:I promise to grow old along with you.Bride:I promise you, me.

Want more ideas? Check out this great guide on writing vows from Wedshed

Tegan Dengate and Adam Smith hosted their wedding at the Robertson Hotel, nestled in the Southern Highlands of NSW. This 1920’s hotel with beautiful gardens and elegant architecture was the perfect setting for their elegant vintage themed wedding. Photography by Damien Furey

Tegan shares some thoughts about her wedding ceremony.

Why did you hold the ceremony indoors, and not in the Hotel grounds?
Being August, the weather was cool, so for the comfort of our guests we used the ‘drawing room’ for the ceremony. It accommodated all our guests comfortably. The fireplace and the beautiful sunlight that streamed through the antique windows created a warm and inviting atmosphere. The natural light not only created a romantic feel, but it was ideal for photographs.

Why did you choose Angela Finn as your Celebrant?Adam and I wanted to have the right words and to be able to recognize the special people in our lives. At our first meeting with Angela we found it difficult to articulate exactly what we wanted, but she must have been an expert in body language and reading between-the-lines, as the first draft of our ceremony was ‘spot on’ what we were after.

Describe your ceremony style and theme
We focused on keeping the ceremony light, moving and memorable. Adam and I met in 2006 and we’ve built a pretty busy life together, so we wanted our ceremony to be a recognition of the step we were taking together, rather than a “starting our lives together” feel. We also wanted to acknowledge our parents and grandparents, which Angela was able to write into the ceremony beautifully.

What unique details did you include in the ceremony?Adam and I have a big bunch of friends so instead of calling them bridesmaids and groomsmen we called them the “I-Do Crew”. They walked in pairs down the aisle followed by my maid of honour to an acoustic version of “Just the way you are”. Then the music changed to Jack Johnson’s “Better Together”, and I walked down the aisle with Mum and Dad on either arm. When I saw Adam waiting at the end of the aisle, I couldn’t stop smiling.

Did you choose any readings for the ceremony?We did not intend to include a reading, but after looking through the ceremony resources that Angela provided, we really liked the “The Art of Marriage” by Wilfred A Peterson. It is such a realistic, practical approach to marriage which resonated with us.

What were the most touching moments in your ceremony?
There were lots of touching moments – like walking down the aisle with Mum and Dad, seeing Adam for the first time, laughing at the jokes about Adam and I in our story, and of course, exchanging our wedding vows and rings.

We were surprised at the humourous moments that occurred in the ceremony which we hadn’t planned. Like when I put Adams ring on with way too much force, and bending down to speak into the microphone as if I was bowing. Adam and I, along with our guests were all had a laugh which made the ceremony relaxed, fun and intimate.

What did your guests say about your ceremony?We had so many lovely comments about our ceremony. Guests commented on how much love they felt in the room, and how great it was that we incorporated our parents and grandparents into the ceremony. A lot of people commented on Angela’s friendliness and how she organized all our guests into their positions before the ceremony.

Do you have any advice for engaged couples about their wedding ceremony?One thing that I have suggested to a few people I know who are planning to get married is how important the rehearsal is. Angela made her way to Robertson the day before our wedding and ran through the entire ceremony a number of times with our “I-Do crew” and parents to ensure everyone knew what they were required to do.

The rehearsal made all of us so relaxed. The following day we were just able to enjoy the ceremony knowing everything was taken care of. We even changed our vows slightly during the rehearsal and Ange showed up the next day with our new vows printed and ready to go.

Wedding Ceremony Music PlaylistProcessional: Jason Mraz” Just the way you are”
Bride’s entrance: Jack Johnson “Better Together”
Signing of the Register: Landon Austin – Best part of Me.
Recessional: Vance Joy – Fire and Flood
Coldplay – Sky Full Of Stars

They spend months or even years planning their wedding so that it is the best day of their life.

And then the day arrives. Guess what happens.

The wedding day absolutely flies by and the couple fails to enjoy the experience.

It’s often because nerves and distractions can ruin their level of enjoyment.

This can happen with the wedding ceremony if the couple finds the ceremony particularly nerve-wracking. Not surprising, making a life-changing decision and commitment in front of your loved ones is hardly a normal or regular occurrence!